blowback
1
9.9
- noun
- /ˈbloʊˌbæk/
- Jargon
:
repercusión
- The attack on the embassy was a clear example of blowback from earlier covert operations.
Examples
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Then there are the legacy/blowback body counts of the Iran-Contra scandal.
Blog text (34) -
As the third skip, this blowback then flows back into the United States.
Blog text (12) -
On September 11, the United States became the victim of what the CIA calls "blowback."
Academic text (2002) -
The reaction in the foreign place, as we are seeing, has blowback on the assets of the US in those places—here it is embassies, but it could be private companies associated with the US or ordinary US citizens living abroad.
Blog text (12) -
Lots of prayer rugs found on the border; he is picking sides in the Cartel and supplying them also, but not through F&F. Al Qaeda is blowback from the 80s.
Blog text (11) -
Using newly declassified documents, journalist Christopher Simpson wrote Blowback in 1988, outlining the United States' recruitment of Nazi intelligence officers and later of German scientists, many of whom entered the United States in great secrecy at the government's direction.
Academic text (2004) -
Furthermore, it must be stated emphatically that no power was ever delegated to the federal government to willfully endanger the states or the people or to expose them to attack; meddling in the internal affairs of foreign lands tends to create blowback, and thus endangers the states and the people; no legitimate authority exists for these actions.
Blog text (13) -
Analysts warned that the blowback from the misinformation campaign could harm relations with other countries.
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After the scandal, many officials were concerned about the blowback affecting their credibility at home.
Synonyms
35
6.8
Information people spread on purpose to deceive others
Antonyms
Compounds
- Specialized
A gun system where the bolt is not fully locked and opens later after firing
- Specialized
A gun system where the bolt must overcome resistance before moving but is not fully locked
Surface Forms
Morphology
blowback = blow (semi-transparent) = back + blow
This is a domain-specific metaphor (intelligence/propaganda) of the general 'returned harm' sense; the parts hint at the idea but the precise technical meaning is specialized. [Postprocessing: moved 'back' from base_words to prefix]
Etymology
The word blowback uses the same parts blow ('a strong effect') and back ('comes back'). It is used for secret or false actions that later 'come back' and cause harm at home, so it means disinformation or operations returning to hurt the country that started them.